It's been painful to watch Demaryius Thomas suffer through some of the worst quarterback play in the league over the past few seasons and Thomas finally failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards this past season for the first time since 2011, his second season in the league. Thomas finished tied for 10th in the NFL in 2017 with 10 red zone receptions, but he got a bit unlucky as he only finished with five touchdowns on the season. The 30-year-old wideout may not possess the incredible 4.41 speed that made him one of the biggest freak athletes at the position when he came into the league, but Thomas still creates major mismatches, especially in the red zone, with his size and strength.

The bright side for Thomas is that, while his counting stats have been down in recent seasons, he's still seeing a ton of targets and the efficiency of those targets should go up with even semi-competent quarterback play. Thomas now will get to play with Case Keenum, who finished second in the NFL, behind only an all-time NFL record performance by Drew Brees, with a 67.6 completion percentage in 2017. Keenum doesn't specialize in down-field passing but he should be a significant step up from the dumpster fire of a situation that Thomas has been dealing with as of late.

The Broncos did invest an early-second round pick on wide receiver Courtland Sutton who figures to be the heir-apparent for Thomas, but that won't likely come to fruition until at least the 2019 season when Thomas' contract is up for renewal. For now, the veteran should be in line to see at least 125 targets this season which should give him a high enough floor to out-produce his current ADP, which has him in the 20s among wide receivers.

He doesn't have the sexy name anymore but players like Thomas are a great option as a WR2 or even a very low-end WR1 for teams that go running back-heavy early in their drafts, or who select a quarterback or tight end in the first few rounds. His days as a true WR1 for fantasy purposes are probably done, but don't sleep on Thomas in 2018 just because he hasn't been great over the past few seasons.

FFToday's Take:Coutee has been sidelined since aggravating his hamstring a few weeks ago. If he plays this week, it would slightly diminish the value of Demaryius Thomas, but both should be considered risky WR3/flex plays anyway.

Keke Coutee has dealt with strained hamstrings in both legs. He has missed the past two games since injuring his left leg against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The fourth-round draft pick from Texas Tech is improving and practiced on a limited basis last week, but doesn't plan to return until his leg is fully recovered to avoid a setback.
"Until I'm 100 percent, I won't be back out there," said Coutee, who has 21 catches for 196 yards and one touchdown. "We're taking it day by day. I'm doing a little bit better every day. I'm definitely taking a little time during the bye." (Houston Chronicle - Aaron Wilson)

FFToday's Take:It is an understandable position since Coutee has strained both of his hamstrings. A return may not be far off, however, as the rookie practiced on a limited basis last week. With Houston on bye in Week 10, owners should assume Coutee will be questionable for Week 11 against the Redskins. DeAndre Hopkins and, to a lesser extent, Demaryius Thomas should see the majority of targets until the rookie returns.

FFToday's Take:We figured this was the case when Keke Coutee was announced as out earlier in the week. It may take a while for Thomas and Deshaun Watson to get on the same page, but Thomas should play a ton of snaps in Week 9. He's in the WR3 consideration. Expect RB Tyler Ervin to see some snaps in the slot.

Texans rookie wide receiver Keke Coutee is officially questionable and is regarded as a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.
The fourth-round draft pick from Texas Tech has a hamstring injury that's been improving and he's been able to practice all week, albeit on a limited basis. "I think he has a chance," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "We'll probably have to think about possibly working him out [Saturday] before the game to kind of see where he's at."
(Houston Chronicle)

FFToday's Take:The Texans traded for WR Demaryius Thomas this week and he will likely be thrust into duty, especially given Coutee's status. If Coutee sits, running back Tyler Ervin would handle duties in the slot.

Mike Klis on Twitter: "Can confirm the Broncos are trading Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans, source tells 9News. Convenient as trades go as DT gets to spend Saturday and Sunday in Denver. Texans play Broncos on Sunday at Mile High. #9sports" (Twitter)

FFToday's Take:This certainly bodes well for the prospects of Courtland Sutton and Emmanuel Sanders on the Broncos side, and could dent the upside of Keke Coutee a bit. Thomas also picks up a little more value in the long term for 2018.

Multiple league sources confirm the Patriots have been active on the trade front for weeks. That’s not abnormal for them. One name that’s been discussed is Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas. Thomas was drafted by Pats OC Josh McDaniels when he was HC at Denver. (Mike Girardi on Twitter)

FFToday's Take:Thomas has been the subject of trade rumors for at least a few weeks. It's unclear if the Patriots would be eyeing an upgrade on Chris Hogan or Josh Gordon insurance, as it's hard to see the current version of Thomas being an upgrade for New England. In the event Thomas gets traded before Tuesday's 4 pm ET deadline, rookie Courtland Sutton would almost certainly become an immediate high-upside WR3 in most 12-team leagues.

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